METAMORPHOSIS JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA Volume 5 June 1994 Number 2 Xyleutes vosserleri (Cossidae) female (Forewing length 58 – 68 mm) LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL STEPHEN F. HENNING, President JOHN JOANNOU GRAHAM A. HENNING, Secretary ROLF OBERPRIELER STEPHEN WOODHALL, Treasurer MARK C. WILLIAMS LINDSAY DURHAM, Social Secretary MARTIN KRÜGER WILLIAM H. HENNING, Editor, Metamorphosis The aims of the Lepidopterists' Society of Southern Africa are to promote the scientific study and conservation of Lepidoptera in Southern Africa; and to promote the publication of original scientific papers as well as articles of a less technical nature in the journal, Metamorphosis, or other publications of the Society. Membership of the Society is open to all persons interested in the study of Lepidoptera. There is no geographical limit to membership. There are three categories of membership: Local Overseas Full members R55,00 p.a. US$40,00 p.a. UK £20 Junior members and Pensioners R28,00 p.a. US$20,00 p.a. UK £10 Affiliate members (Scientific Societies, museums, libraries, schools, etc. R55,00 p.a. US$40,00 p.a. UK £20 Persons may become Life Members by paying eight hundred Rand (R800,00) locally and US$600.00 overseas. Membership fees are due on 1 April. Overseas rates are higher due to increased postage. CORRESPONDENCE The Hon. Secretary, P.O. Box 470, FLORIDA HILLS, 1716 All drawings, unless otherwise stated, are by S.F. Henning. June 1994 METAMORPHOSIS, VOL. 5, No. 2 49 _________________________________________________________________ EDITORIAL It is Conference and AGM time again and I would like to encourage all of you to attend this year on the 13th and 14th August for what again looks like an enjoyable weekend. There is still time to send in slides for the photographic competition and to decide to present a paper. Talking about papers, how about more contributions for Metamorphosis? Remember we are always looking for articles about your latest collecting trips and observations. In this issue Ernest Pringle ·has contributed a most thought provoking article about veld fires. I agree with a lot of what he has said and would like to add that annual burning is necessary in the Ruimsig Entomological Reserve to ensure suitable habitat for the rare lycaenid Aloeides dentatis. When the reserve was first established in 1984 and fenced in we carefully surrounded the perimeter with firebreaks to help prevent it from being burnt out. The following year A. dentatis was absent in the reserve but thriving happily on the firebreaks. It appears that the host ant Acantholepis capensis and the foodplant Hermannia depressa (and consequently A. dentatis) like open and disturbed areas. The foodplant, for example, creeps flat on the ground and is easily overgrown with the 1-2 metre high veld grass unless the old growth is cleared or burnt away every year. We do not bum the whole reserve every year, just small sections on a rotation basis. Over the past 10 years this has worked out very well and the colony of A. dentatis on this small 12 hectare reserve is as strong or stronger than at any time since it was discovered at the site in 1963. W.H. Henning Euxanthe wakefieldi (Nymphalidae: Charaxinae), fifth instar larva, head and pupa June 1994 METAMORPHOSIS, VOL. 5, No. 2 50 _________________________________________________________________ COMMENT BY THE PRESIDENT The study of Lepidoptera in our country has come a long way over the past thirty years. One of the people who has led the way and done much to unravel the mysteries of the butterfly fauna of the Cape is Victor Pringle. With his love of nature and dedication to the study and conservation of butterflies he has served as a shining example to us “younger" butterfly enthusiasts. Recently Victor has had problems with his eyesight and he has reluctantly resigned from the Society. He says he is virtually blind and has difficulty reading anything at all and will now have to rely on his son Ernest to keep him up to date on the butterflies. However, I am sure one of the highlights for him over the next few months will be the publication of the second revised edition of Pennington's Butterflies of Southern Africa which was co-edited by Ernest. I, on behalf of the Lepidopterists' Society of Southern Africa, would like to pay tribute to Victor Pringle for his contribution to the study of butterflies in South Africa. Stephen Henning Phasis pringlei male underside June 1994 METAMORPHOSIS, VOL. 5, No. 2 51 _________________________________________________________________ REGIONAL ROUNDUP The last few months have been pretty quiet for many collectors what with the elections and the unrest situation but some collecting trips were undertaken. Some of those who have been out have enjoyed reasonable success. Chris Ficq has spent a lot of time in. the Cape and has collected a number of Torynesis of various species in various localities and he also went to Zululand where he collected a number of Acraea rabbaiae Ward and some Anthene minima (Trimen). There was also a society gathering in Zululand organised by Hermann Staude about which we hope to have an article written, although apparently butterflies were in short supply. · Several trips to eastern Zimbabwe were made by Andrew Mayer, Johan Greyling and Steve Woodhall. Some of the notable species recorded by them are as follows:- Hesperiidae Borbo micans (Holland) collected in a marsh by Andrew; Platylesches picanini Holland; Chondrolepis niveicomis (Plotz); Gorgyra johnstoni (Butlar); Pieridae Mylothris carcassoni was seen in the Santi forest by Andrew and Johan but they were flying so high around the treetops that it was impossible to get close to them. It is however nice to know that they are still around as this species is the only Zimbabwe species listed as VULNERABLE in the conservation review of southern African butterflies published in our Practical Guide. Mylothris sagala umtaliana Van Son was also flying and Andrew managed to capture a couple. Lycaenidae A very dark grey female Leptomyrina was recorded by Andrew but as this genus from Zimbabwe has not been investigated adequately it cannot be conclusively identified. It does however resemble Leptomyrina gorgias sobrina Talbot which is known from further to the west. Lipaphnaeus adema spindasoides (Aurivillius); Deudorix zeloides (Butler); Deudorix lorisona coffea Jackson; Deloneura sheppardi Stevenson; Teriomima puellaris Trimen. Nymphalidae Precis artaxia Hewitson; Sallya rosa (Hewitson); Neptis penningtoni Van Son; Charaxes manica Trimen. Rudolf Swart and Daan Humphris also visited eastern Zimbabwe, they were there from 26th March to 1st April. Rudolf reports that the forests were very dry in the Mutare, Vumba, Burma Valley, Bomponi/Pungwe areas but that Mt. Selinda and Rusito were not bad. He thanks Rob Pare and John Daffue for directions to collecting spots. Rusito Forest is a bird watching locality! In Rusito Rudolph and Daan collected Oboronia bueronica Karsch, Neptidopsis ophione velleda (Mabille), N. fulgurata platyptera Rothschild & Jordan, Neptis carcassoni Van Son and Acraea satis Ward. They found Acraea insignis gorongozae Van Son at Pungwe along with T. puellaris. At Mutare they found Euphaedra mardania orientis (Karsch). At Mt. Selinda the following species were recorded; Pentila swynnertoni Stevenson, Salamis cacta (Fabricius), Apaturopsis cleochares schultzei Schmidt, Cyrestis pantheus sublineatus Lathy, Euriphene achlys (Hopffer). For such a short trip a lot of ground was covered and some good captures recorded. Just to show me what I was missing Rudolf sent me a photograph of some perfect specimens of Sallya rosa Hewitson. He also sent along pictures of a melanistic male and a partial mosaic gynandromorph of Belenois gidica (Godart). Talking of gynandromorphs, Martin Krüger showed us a specimen donated to the Transvaal Museum by Neville Duke of an almost halved gynandromorph of Appias epaphia contracta Butler, quite spectacular! June 1994 METAMORPHOSIS, VOL. 5, No. 2 52 _________________________________________________________________ Another contribution by Rudolf Swart was a series of photographs of the variety of female forms of Appias sabina phoebe (Butler) which he has recorded. This species was out in some numbers at Woodbush and Malta Forest (Lagalametsi) as seen by Paul Kruger. Gordon Fraser-Grant reports the following from Cape Town where he saw "a male Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus) in the Silvermine Reserve, Cape Town on 15 March 1994. This I believe may be the first recorded sighting in the Cape Peninsula since Dr André Claassens’ report of 4 April 1988. (Metamorphosis No. 22). The insect was flying low and slowly around some Protea bushes on the opposite side of the road above which I was standing. It was there for long enough· for me to make an identification before it flew off. But unfortunately not long enough for me to collect it." This story of sightings recorded well away from normal habitats reminds me of a story that happened in February 1974. We were in East London on a collecting holiday and had the pleasure of accompanying Clive Quickelberge to one of his favourite collecting sites just outside town. This was a series of small hilltops high above a river with a pronounced horseshoe bend. I had gone ahead and arrived at a small hilltop. There sporting about was a Charaxes jasius saturnus Butler. It settled on the end of a branch in front of me. I looked closely at it and saw that it was an extremely worn and broken specimen. Like a good Transvaal collector I gave it a playful jab with the pole of my net and watched happily as it took to the wing and flew from sight. Some twenty minutes or so later a delighted Clive hurried up to us with a great treasure clutched in his hands. There in his fingers was this old broken saturnus, and to Clive's great glee he pronounced that saturnus had never been collected so far south before! If you read Pennington's Butterflies you will see this record.